The Surprise of the Change
by LindsayR
Summary: Ginny is shunned by Harry and finds friends in the most unlikely people. This is PG-13 for now but it may change later.
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer:  I own nothing.  Everything belongs to J.K. Rowling

Author's Note:  After writing my first HP fic I have found that I am of the inclination to write another.  I have plans to turn this into a chaptered series.  This is the first installment.  Pairings are Draco/Ginny, Ron/Hermione, and Harry/?.  It's going to be a surprise as to whom Harry ends up with.  Heck, I don't even know yet.  Rated PG-13 so far.  It may change in the future.

The Surprise of the Change

By

Anessa Ramsey

         She couldn't help crying.  Sometimes it seemed like all she ever did.  She hated Hogwarts.  She'd begged her mother to send her somewhere else after that horrible fiasco her first year, and every year since then, but her parents said no.  A Weasley attended Hogwarts, no matter what.  She ran down the path from the Great Hall.  Harry Potter had just embarrassed her in front of the whole school and her brother had done nothing to stop it.  

         As she ran she saw in her mind the faces of the Slytherins who were laughing hysterically.  She saw the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws look away as if ashamed to be watching her humiliation.  The Gryffindors were the worst though.  None of them thought that Harry had done anything wrong.  

         All she'd wanted to do was ask him a question about her Transfiguration homework.  Instead he jumped up when she touched his arm and shouted at her to get over her childish infatuation with him.  He screamed that he'd never want her.  

         She knew the professors had been horrified by his outburst but that wasn't enough to stop her from running from the hall as if the hounds of hell were at her heels.  If she'd have looked closely she would have seen that there were two students who weren't laughing at her as she fled the room.  Surprise would have filled if she'd known one of them was Draco Malfoy.  She would have been even more surprised if she knew the other was Pansy Parkinson.

         "Harry, I swear you are such a git sometimes," Hermione snapped, standing up next to the boy who lived.  She was speaking loud enough for the entire room to hear.  Dumbledore watched the proceedings carefully from where he sat at the head table.  "She wasn't interested in you.  All she wanted was help with her Transfiguration homework.  It took me all day just to convince her to approach you about it.  Now look what you've done you idiot.  Do you ever notice anything?  She hasn't had a crush on you for two years!  But no, Mr. The-World-Revolves-Around-Me Potter couldn't be bothered to see something like that.  After all, why wouldn't she still have a crush on him.  He's the best boy in school."  Hermione's temper was in fine form and the rest of the school listened, hushed, as she delivered her diatribe.  Ron began to shy away from his girlfriend, not wanting to interfere.  She turned on him quickly.  "Don't think you're going anywhere.  You and I will talk later about what a brother is supposed to do when his sister is being verbally attacked."  She swung back to Harry.  "You're one of my best friends, but you can be a blind prat sometimes.  Now I suggest that you think of some way to apologize to Ginny or I'll make sure that the Weasleys know what you said to their only daughter.  You won't ever be welcome in their house again when I tell them how she ran from the hall in tears."  

         Quickly she gathered her books and strode toward the doors.  She stopped suddenly when she felt everyone's gaze on her.  She turned to face Professor Dumbledore.  "I'm sorry about my outburst sir.  It won't happen again."

         "I am not upset Miss Granger.  Quite the contrary.  I am awarding you fifteen points for your stalwart defense of your friend."  Hermione blushed.  "Why don't you go see if you can find Miss Weasley.  I am of the impression that she might need a friend right now."

         "Thank you, sir," she said as she ran out the door.

         "As for you Mr. Potter.  I should like to see you in my office after supper.  We have much to discuss.  Sit down."

         Harry plopped into his seat as the rest of the students sat, stunned, absorbing what had just occurred.  Harry Potter had been dressed down.  By Hermione Granger.  For seven years no one had ever dared to go against him.  He was the most popular student in school.  You just didn't do that.

         Ron spoke quietly when the other Gryffindors when back to their food.  "You didn't have to be such a prat, Harry."

         He sighed.  "I don't know what came over me.  She touched me and I just lost it.  I'm not even really sure why.  I guess I always thought she'd have a crush on me.  She always used to find ways to get me to notice her.  I thought that this was going to be another one of those times."

         "Mione is right.  You do owe Ginny an apology."

         "I know.  I just have to figure out how to go about it.  I'm not really used to apologizing anymore.  Since the Dursleys kicked me out a few years ago, I've never really had to do it."

         "Well I suggest you figure out how, because Dumbledore did not look pleased.  And did you see Snape.  He was practically seething.  He hates my sister.  She always messes up her potions.  But he was very angry.  I think McGonagal was the only one who looked calm."

         'Not the only one,' Harry mused silently, sneaking a glance at Draco Malfoy.  His enemy had been too preoccupied with the disappearance of Virginia Weasley to laugh.  There was something about the way Malfoy watched her that rubbed Harry the wrong way.  He'd have to keep an eye on him.

         Ginny ran and ran, heading for her special place.  No one knew that she ventured into the Forbidden Forest, but how could she not.  It was a magical place.  There she was accepted and could think and feel whatever she wanted.  The unicorns would let her ride them and she talked to the birds and rabbits on a daily basis.  No one knew about her ability to communicate with creatures.  She kept that well hidden.  

         When she reached her meadow she dropped to her knees amid the wildflowers that surrounded her.  It was the only part of the forest that shined with light.  When she first found it she was sure that she was imagining it.  There was a beautiful cascading waterfall that poured into a small pond, just deep enough to swim in, before forming a river that meandered through the forest.  

         If the professors knew she went there she would be in serious trouble.  The Forbidden Forest was just that…forbidden.  She didn't care.  She stood quickly and began to take off her second rate robe.  She hated her clothing.  She always wanted to be able to dress more like Pansy Parkinson, but she never told anyone.  Pansy had this sense of style that was completely different from everyone else's.  Ginny was the only one who didn't think that Pansy was the slut that people made her out to be either.  She was certain that it was just rumor.  

         She pushed all thoughts aside as she pulled off her vest and shirt.  She removed her bra and slipped out of her shoes and skirt.  At least those were new.  She was the only girl Weasley so they'd been forced to buy new uniforms.  She removed the black silk panties that she stole from a muggle store called Harrods.  She never once let herself regret that action.

         She walked toward the water and slowly made her way into the warm pond.  She sighed and swam over under the waterfall.  Her hair was soon slicked back from her face and she began to enjoy herself. At least when she came to the meadow she could escape the dreariness of her life.

         Draco Malfoy clung to the shadows that the trees on the edge of the meadow provided.  After that little show in the Great Hall he'd been compelled to search for the youngest Weasley using a spell to track her location.  He wanted to see if she was okay.  Potter was such an idiot.  How could he have not noticed the way that Virginia Weasley had filled out over the past two years.  She'd blossomed from a gawky youth to a graceful young woman.  She may not be the most beautiful of women but there was something about her that just grabbed his attention.

         He'd been ready to approach her when she began to undress.  At first he thought she was just removing her robe because she was hot, but soon the rest of her clothes followed and he was treated to the most delightful sight of her naked, her coppery hair trailing down the graceful curve of her back.  She was slender and her body was unblemished.  He longed to run his hands over her.  He wanted to feel the creamy smoothness of her skin under his touch.  He wanted to be consumed by the fire inside her.  He wanted her to melt him.

         Her skin glowed with a pale luminescence just like the moon.  Unlike the moon, though, her fiery hair gave insight as to the tempestuous nature that lived inside her.  He knew she never let anyone see it.  She was far too shy to really let go.  The people she considered friends were all too eager to relegate her to the role of bratty little sis or pesky little girl with a crush.  Surprisingly he found that the only one of her friends he respected right at the moment was the mud-blood, Granger.  She actually stood up to Harry Potter…and won.

         He watched mesmerized as she swam beneath the waterfall.  He'd never seen such a vision in his life.  He sighed, wondering what on earth had gotten into him.  He wasn't supposed to be mooning over some slip of a girl, especially since that girl happened to be a Weasley.  He was supposed to be strong, mean, so that he could join his father's ranks in support of Voldemort.  The thought actually sickened him.  He'd been safe from his father's rantings and beatings for the past seven years.  Now it was nearing the end of his time at Hogwarts and he found that he was scared to go.  He didn't want to be a Death Eater.

         Taking one last look at the redhead in the pond, he banished the thought of his father from his mind before walking back through the forest toward the school.  All he wanted to do was go lock himself in his private room and forget that Virginia Weasley had any affect on him whatsoever.  He knew though that it was easier said than done.  


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer:  I own nothing.  Everything belongs to J.K. Rowling.

The Surprise of the Change

By 

Anessa Ramsey

         For the fifth time in as many minutes Harry turned to look at Ginny.  Ever since that incident in the Great Hall two days ago, she'd been avoiding him like the plague.  He didn't know how to go about approaching her, despite the dressing down he'd received from Hermione.  What she said to him was nothing compared that what Dumbledore had done.  He'd deducted thirty points from Gryffindor, despite the fact that he gave Hermione fifteen.  Harry had been ordered to apologize to Ginny and then he'd been given several detentions, all with Snape, the first of which started today.  He sighed.  How was it he got into this mess?

         He glanced at Ginny again and noticed he was not the only one watching her.  He blocked out the sound of Professor Trelawny's ravings about events that were supposed to happen in the future.  She was such a fraud.  He glanced at Malfoy noticing the way Malfoy's eyes seemed to soften around the edges when he looked at Ginny.  Harry almost laughed.  It seemed Malfoy finally had a crush on someone he couldn't have.  Ginny would never touch him.  It was somewhat mean, but he couldn't help being glad about it.  He was about to nudge Hermione to point out Draco's new interest in young girls with red hair when he was pinched on the arm.  He bit his lip to avoid crying out.  Professor Trelawny hated being interrupted.

         "Merlin's sake, Pansy.  Why'd you pinch me?"

         "Don't you even think about interfering in Draco's business.  I will make your life a neverending hell if you do anything to hurt him or Virginia Weasley.  He likes her.  A lot.  And despite the fact that I hate you Gryffindors, right now he needs all the friends he can get.  If he decides to approach her, I want you to swear that you won't do a thing to stop him.  No snide remarks, no tattling to her brother, no running to Dumbledore.  You leave both of them be.  After the other day, I think it would be a welcome relief for Virginia."

         Harry gaped at her, his mouth opening and closing like a fish caught on land gasping for air.  "Are you off your rocker?  I'm not letting him anywhere near her."

         "It's not your choice.  You gave up that right when you ignored her for almost six years.  Deal with it and leave both of them alone.  I'll get Draco to back off of you and your friends as well."

         Harry was stunned.  It was definitely not his week with females.  And why was Pansy Parkinson defending Ginny?  The last that he knew the Slytherin girl hated everything Gryffindor, especially Ginny Weasley.  "Why are you defending her all of a sudden?  You've picked on her just as much as anyone else."

         Pansy sneered at him.  "I may pick on her but I don't envy seeing other people have their heart ripped out and crushed beneath someone's boot like it meant nothing.  I may be a Slytherin but I'm not completely vicious.  No wonder that sorting hat couldn't make up it's mind your first year.  There's actually some evil in you after all, Harry Potter."

         Ginny heard Pansy Parkinson whispering behind her and wondered who she was tormenting.  She turned slightly just in time to see Harry blush as Pansy hissed something at him.  They both spotted her and Harry looked away.  Then something extremely odd occurred.  Pansy Parkinson smiled at her.  It was a real, genuine smile.  Wondering what was going on with everyone lately, she returned the smile and then went back to looking at her book.  She wasn't the only one to notice Pansy's odd behavior.  

         Draco watched his housemate carefully.  Pansy never smiled at Virginia.  Ever.  Something strange was going on in the school.  Everyone was acting crazy.  'Or maybe we're all just growing up,' he thought, wondering if that was the case.  'Well, not all of us,' he corrected silently, glancing at Potter who still wouldn't look at Virginia.  He loved her name.  He couldn't bring himself to call her Ginny.  It was just so…childish, and she was anything but.  Gin would suit her.  Like the drink she'd cause a slow burn inside his chest.  He knew that she could scorch him if he ever let her close.  

         Thinking of her always made him remember his favorite poem.  No one knew that he was truly fascinated by muggle literature.  It wasn't filled with facts and figures and definitions.  It was a place that he could escape to…much like Gin and her meadow.  He smirked.  That's what he'd call her from now on.  Gin.  He watched as she ran her fingers through her hair and in his mind he pictured her as she had been in her meadow.  It was the only time he'd ever see her really free.  There she was not a Weasley, not the girl who was once infatuated with Potter, she was not the girl who was picked on or ignored.  She was a water sprite frolicking in her natural environment.  

         He had to have her.  This compulsion of watching her was driving him mad.  He knew he couldn't be overt.  Her brother would drive them apart.  He had to get her to love him before anyone could know.  Now he just had to figure out how to get her attention.  He glanced at Potter and the boy was watching him.  He could tell that Potter knew.  He just smirked and hoped that he would be able to win Gin's love before Potter or her brother interfered.


End file.
